Juvencio de Anda: grace, style, and class

By Paul de la Peña-Franceschi

A newcomer to Laredo, I have come across individuals who have afforded me a great sense of warmth, which is one of the most endearing characteristics of this community. This was my first impression of clothiers Juvencio and Nancy de Anda, whom I have had the pleasure to know for the past four years. Juvencio was well-liked and admired by thousands who over the course of decades came in and out of his life. He left this life, for a life of glory, Saturday March 15, 2003 after heart complications that plagued him only recently.
Like many Laredoans who knew him much better than I, I too mourned his passing. My personal relationship with the De Andas began out of the need to help my students when I was choir director at United South Middle School. I learned that the de Andas were synonymous with community involvement and generosity. I took a liking to both of them immediately.
Given the task of rebuilding a music program that had no budget, I faced the daunting chore of outfitting my choir of 150 for an upcoming December concert and for the WBCA parade in February. With the help of Juvencio and Nancy, we were able to outfit our students with class and style. While I had asked for a simple tuxedo shirt for each student, Juvencio decided, in his usual elegant manner, that my students would wear shirts befitting kings and princesses. When the shirts came in and were delivered to the campus, I was amazed at their quality and at the substantial discount the de Andas gave us.
My students looked incredible dressed for the first time in the choir's history with such equality and dignity. They won first place in the performance category for the WBCA Youth parade. A group photo of the choir hangs in the USMS Choir room today, and the tuxedo shirts are still a part of the United South Middle School Choir uniforms, currently under the direction of Michael Benacci. This act of kindness and generosity is but one of the many that have elevated Juvencio and Nancy to the stature of legendary figures in the community.
Juvencio de Anda will be greatly missed, but I believe that his legacy of positivism and good will are well-noted and carried on by Nancy and his children. After attending his funeral service, I witnessed the tremendous outpouring of love and emotion at the sight of so many grown men weeping. In the words of Javier de Anda's heartfelt eulogy to his father, and in the accounts of his compadre Fernando Reyes, who chronicled trips to Vegas, cruises, and golfing expeditions, there was a measure of the outpouring of love for this man.
The funeral Mass was held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Manuel Degollado provided beautiful Spanish music on solo acoustic guitar. Church pianist Manuel Ponce and the children of Blessed Sacrament School Choir sang a beautiful hymn at Communion entitled "Love One Another."
The broad scope of friends, family, and city and county officials evidenced itself at the graveside service at the Catholic cemetery. His casket, draped with the American flag, was brought to the center of the cemetery's gazebo on a day so remarkably beautiful as to be a tribute itself to Juvencio. After a 21-gun salute, "Taps" was played by a single bugler, the notes heavy on the spring air against the backdrop of a war that is now on the hearts of a nation. The ceremony ended as Nancy accepted the American flag presented to her on behalf of the President of the United States and the U.S. Air Force. Mariachis offered a final musical tribute to Juvencio. The day left me thinking there was much to learn about this man who gave so much and asked so little.